


Another year older, same old love

by Lover_of_Fairy_Tails



Series: My AFTG Canon Universe Continuing Fics [4]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Exy (All For The Game), Fluff, M/M, Neil's fifth year, Post-Canon, andrew loves neil, knuckle kissing while driving, surprise birthday visits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2020-01-06 16:21:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18391985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lover_of_Fairy_Tails/pseuds/Lover_of_Fairy_Tails
Summary: I thought of writing this on Neil's birthday, but I was flying home from Tokyo that day and couldn't really write.So now a week later here it is. Though it's pretty cool because today also happens to be exactly one year since I posted my first AFTG fic.This is just a drabble of Andrew making a surprise visit to see Neil on his birthday during his fifth year at Palmetto.





	Another year older, same old love

Andrew walked down the stadium steps towards the outer ring of Palmetto’s Exy Court. It had been over a year since he had played here, but every part of it from the National Championship banners hanging from the rafters to the outline of the home goal on the court wall was etched permanently into his memory. Tonight the stadium was in an uproar. The Foxes were just minutes away from clinching victory in the final round of death matches, and were poised to make it all the way to the championship game again this year.

He had arrived in Palmetto about an hour before the game started. He had spent that time having milkshakes with Bee at her favorite diner, and then once the game started they had sat together in the general admission section to watch. She and Robin were the only people who even knew he was in town. He had told Bee because he had needed someone to pick him up from the airport and because in her own words she ‘Always enjoyed spending time with him’. He had told Robin because he had needed someone on the inside to help his plans for tonight and the rest of the weekend work.

With ten minutes left in the game he had said his goodbyes to Bee and started making his way down towards the court. The guards opened the outer court doors for him without question, and when Andrew approached the Foxes bench he saw Robin sitting at the end. She looked up at him as he sat down beside her like she had been expecting him all night. “Hello Andrew, have you been enjoying the game so far?”

He hummed in response.

Robin nodded like he had given her an actual answer and continued, “Neil has been playing great tonight. By the way his bag for is packed and already in his car. He thinks that we’re going to Columbia for the weekend, he has no idea that you’re here.”

When he had called Robin weeks before and told her he needed her to get Neil to pack a bag for the weekend without asking questions he had known she would be able to do it with ease. That was why he had trusted her with his plans, also because she was family. “Thank you.”

“Your welcome.”

He sat beside her for another minute before he stood and started making his way down towards the other end of the bench closer to the inner-court doors. He had to cross in front of the team on his way but he didn’t bother speaking to any of them, even though he knew all of them except the freshman. Some of the Foxes seemed surprised to see him, and some actually called out greetings to him as he passed them by.

Once he made his way to the other end he came to a stop beside Wymack and without saying a word to the other man he turned to watch the game. Neil and Jack were both in and were decimating the other team’s defensive line. They were controlling the game so much that Wymack had subbed in his freshman goalie and backliners just to give them some extra practice time in a deathmatch game. Though the Foxes had quite the cushion in points the goalie still looked as if he wasn’t handling the pressure will.

“I swear to God if you flinch one more time I’m making you run a full marathon next month,” Wymack swore at the freshman even though there was no way the goalie could hear his threats through the court walls. Wymack turned probably looking for Robin, but caught sight of Andrew instead. He only looked surprised to see him standing there for a brief second. “Minyard how fast can you get changed and on the court so you can show these kids what a real goalkeeper plays like?”

“I don’t think the NCAA would like that.”

Wymack raised an eyebrow at him. “Since when do you give a shit about what the NCAA likes?”

Andrew finally turned to face him. “Since I would have to listen to your captain complaining about getting disqualified from championships his final year.”

Wymack huffed out a laugh at that. “Fine but if they let one more goal by in the next five minutes I’m signing them all up for a marathon.”

Andrew nodded his agreement and they both turned back towards the game. The goalie managed to hold out for the remainder of it clenching the Foxes seven point lead win, making it the largest point gap in a deathmatch game this season. Andrew was not exactly looking forward to hearing Neil talk about what that meant for their chances in the rest of the play-offs for what would probably be hours on end later tonight.

As soon as the buzzer sounded Neil had tore his helmet off and clacked sticks with Jack. Jack had been an absolute pain in the ass his freshman year. His personality had been shit and he had given Neil nothing but grief. While they still weren’t friendly they did begrudgingly work together to keep the Foxes a dominating team in college Exy since Neil was captain and Jack was co-captain.

Andrew moved out of the way as the court doors opened and the rest of the Foxes poured through them to celebrate their win. Andrew watched on as one of the Foxes tackled Neil to the ground and then the rest formed a giant celebratory pile on top.

After they had shook hands with the other team they started to make their way off the court. Neil was last in line and while he waited for everyone else to file through the door Andrew was able to get a good look at him. His ice blue eyes were shining bright, his skin was flushed, and he had his damn orange fox print bandana holding back his hair which had grown a little too long. He looked like a junkie who had just gotten the fix of a lifetime. He looked beautiful.

When Neil finally passed through the inner-court door he looked up and caught sight of Andrew. He didn’t think it should be possible, but in that moment his eyes looked like they shone brighter still.

“Andrew!” he practically screeched. His voice was pitched high from excitement and surprise. It was probably the most undignified noise Andrew had ever heard Neil make, in public at least. It caused some of his teammates to turn around and look at them. Though they lost interest fast when that saw that Neil hadn’t just been stabbed. All of them except the freshman knew about their relationship, and the freshman respected their captain enough to not say anything or ask questions.

“What are you doing here?” Neil asked him. He looked like he was having to forcibly hold himself back from reaching out for Andrew. Andrew too itched to pull that damn bandana out of his hair, but the stands were still packed and the news cameras were still aimed their way.

“Watching an Exy game.”

Neil half heartedly rolled his eyes at that answer. “You didn’t tell me you were coming.”

“I did not.”

“How long will you be in town?”

“The weekend.”

Neil looked as if he wanted to say something else, but Andrew cut him off. “Go take a shower and get changed. You stink.”

Neil nodded and began making his way into the hall leading to the Foxes press room. Wymack had already put Jack and one of the freshman on press duty so Neil didn’t have to worry about it, and instead he headed straight into the locker room. Andrew stayed out in the foyer with Wymack.

As they waited for the team to shower and change they talked about Andrew’s first year pro. He had signed with the Atlanta Thrashers but it had turned out to not be a good fit for him. He felt better about his upcoming transfer to the Colorado Boulders, since he could already tell from the few brief conversations with their head coach that they were going to get along much better. Though Denver was a long way away from Boston where Neil had already signed with the Rebels

Once the Foxes had all gathered back in the foyer Andrew stood leaned against the back wall out of their way as Wymack gave his post game speech. It didn’t last very long, but it never really did Wymack liked saving the game breakdowns for Monday practices. Neil was the first one up and he walked straight for Andrew. Andrew turned and lead them out towards the parking lot, as they were walking through the doors he heard Robin call out, “Have a good weekend.”

Andrew sent her a salute and Neil turned to him. “Robin knew you were coming.”

“Yes.”

“How long had you been planning this?”

Andrew didn’t answer. Neil really didn’t need to know that Andrew had been planning this since the moment he found out his team would have a bye this weekend, it would only make him insufferably smug.

Once they reached Neil’s car Andrew walked to the driver’s side and used his key to unlock the doors. Neil dutifully went around and climbed into the passenger seat. The moment both doors closed Andrew reached over, hooked his fingers into the collar of Neil’s shirt, and drug him in for a kiss. By the time they pulled apart the windows were completely fogged up, and most of the cars around them were gone. Even though the parking lot was a lot less full now it still took them way too long to get out of Palmetto, and once they hit the highway Andrew floored it.

It took twenty miles before Neil noticed something was amiss. “This isn’t the way to Columbia.”

“Astute observation.”

Neil looked around as if he could figure out where they were going based on mile markers before asking, “Where are we going?”

“I booked us a hotel in Charlotte for the weekend.”

“Oh,” Neil said surprised. “That sounds nice. I remember liking it last time we went.”

Andrew hummed his agreement. They had been once before on one of their little weekend road trip getaways. When he was choosing a place for them to go this weekend Andrew remembered having a particularly nice time in the hotel there, and that was really all the motivation he needed.

They drove a little while longer before Andrew took his hand off the wheel and placed it palm up between them. Neil immediately reached down and slotted their fingers into place together. Andrew left it like that for a moment before he brought their entwined hands up to his mouth and placed a kiss on the back of Neil’s knuckles.

“Happy Birthday Neil.”


End file.
